The present invention relates to an electroplating apparatus for wheel disk, especially to an electroplating apparatus for wheel disk of various sizes and thickness, and having dual anodes.
The electroplating is used to plate metal on surface of article to provide pleasant and radiant appearance to the article. Moreover, the electroplating can also provide anti-corrosion and high hardness.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conventional electroplating apparatus comprises an electrolytic cell 1a for containing electro bath (not shown). The electrolytic cell 1a has a cathode plate 2a on topside thereof and the cathode plate 2a has been provided with a mounting rack 20a extended downward therefrom and dipped into the electro bath. The mounting rack 20a is used to hold the wheel disk 4a to be plated. The mounting rack 20a has different specifications to hold wheel disks 4a of different size, thickness and outer radius. An electrode 21a is arranged below the wheel disk 4a and in contact with the wheel disk 4a. The electrode 21a is functioned as cathode of the electrolytic cell 1a. Moreover, a plurality of anode plates 3a are provided on both sides of the wheel disk 4a. The cations dissolved from the anode plates 3a are moved toward the cathode through the electro bath and then attached on the wheel disk 4a. After a certain processing time, sufficient cations are attached on the wheel disk 4a to provide the wheel disk 4a with smooth and radiant appearance.
However, the wheel disks 4a generally have different size, thickness and outer radius, and several problems exist.
First, the wheel disks 4a have different size, thickness and outer radius such that different mounting rack 20a is required. Therefore, the mounting rack 20a is frequently changed to increase processing time.
Secondly, in the plating process, the electrode 21a continuously shocks the surface of the wheel disk 4a, the electrode 21a may be stuck on the surface of the wheel disk 4a. The electrode 21a is hard to separate from the surface of the wheel disk 4a, thus influencing the appearance of the wheel disk 4a. 
Thirdly, the wheel disk 4a generally has complicated shape, for example, the wheel disk 4a may have many grooves and holes thereon. The grooves and holes may be blocked by bubble generated when the wheel disk 4a is dipped into the electro bath. Therefore, the locations with grooves and holes are hard to be plated.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an electroplating apparatus for wheel disk of various sizes and thickness, and having dual anodes.
In one aspect of the invention, the electroplating apparatus for wheel disk comprises an electrolytic cell containing electrolytic bath, a cathode plate, an auxiliary anode, at least one anode plate and a driving mechanism. The electroplating apparatus for wheel disk does not require the arrangement of the mounting rack and can be adapted to wheel disk of various size and thickness. The wheel disk is rotated by the driving mechanism to prevent tip-discharging. The bubble in the grooves and holes of the wheel disk floats to surface of the bath, the wheel disk can be thoroughly plated.
In one aspect of the invention, the electroplating apparatus for wheel disk comprises dual anodes. The anode plate is used to plate most area of the wheel disk and the auxiliary anode is used to plate the grooves and holes of the wheel disk, the wheel disk can be thoroughly plated.
The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which: